Before Skippy showed up…
barking, wiggling, nonstop Skippy,
Tilly G felt like the luckiest tortoise on Earth.
He spent his days taking sun baths,
napping in his toasty-warm hutch
and enjoying the most beautiful lunches.
You know, tortoise stuff!
He’d sure come a long way since being rescued.
Back then he’d been a much smaller tortoise with a cracked shell,
but some super skilled animal doctors fixed it!
After that rough start,
Tilly G was living in peace and quiet
with the family who adopted him.
He couldn’t imagine a more perfect tortoise life.
Then…
came Skippy.
Skippy was a shelter pup that Tilly G’s family couldn’t wait to bring home.
“First car ride home to your forever home. What do you think?”
Skippy was excited and a little nervous.
But when he finally arrived,
his new home was amazing.
There was a cat and another dog to play with!
“Oh, someone wants to play!”
“That was his first bark. Yay!”
And look at all these toys!
Skippy didn’t think his new home could get any better.
And then…
he saw him.
The biggest, baldest, greenest,
most incredible-looking creature he had ever laid eyes on.
Tilly G!
Skippy was like, “Hi! Hello! I’m Skippy. What’s your name? Wanna play?”
“I love this hard, rocky sweater you’re wearing.”
Tilly G did not know what was happening.
He was used to having friends around,
but the rest of his family was a bit more chill.
Tilly G didn't know how to act around this new puppy.
But Skippy knew what to do.
It was time for his perfect three-part plan to being the best puppy friend possible.
Step one. Show affection.
Smother your friend with the wettest puppy kisses.
Tilly G was like, “Eww. Yuck!"
And then he was like,
“Hmmm. These are actually kinda nice.”
So far so good, Skippy!
Step two. Be generous.
Share your favorite toys with your new friend.
Like this one, and this one,
and this one, and maybe this one.
But Tilly G didn’t seem too impressed by the toys.
Skippy was like, “How ’bout this stick?”
“No? Really? Are you kidding me? Who doesn’t like to play fetch?"
There was only one thing left to do.
Step three. Be too fun to resist.
By doing the one and only...
Skippy scooty booty dance!
Skippy was like, “So, whatdja think? Yah?”
Tilly G gave it some thought.
This little dog was downright irresistible
and a pretty good dancer.
Having him around might make his perfect tortoise life even better.
Because from now on, it would be a tortoise-puppy life.
Or is that puppy-tortoise life?
Skippy’s plan had worked.
And now that they’re friends, they even have a standing lunch date.
Though, Tilly G suspects Skippy doesn’t really dig salads.
“Are you really gonna eat that?”
And occasionally he takes his food to go.
“Skippy, give it back. Give it back.”
“Wait. Come back here, stinker! Hey!”
And when Tilly G decides it's time to just soak up some sun...
Skippy sometimes joins him,
and sometimes he dances.
But even if these two best animal friends aren’t always moving at the same speed,
life couldn’t be more perfect.